The Thunder were within five, then OKC missed 13 straight as the Spurs ripped a game 7-forcing 20-0 run

“We had a chance to turn the game, but you have to turn the game,” Mark Daigneault said. “You can’t wait for the game to turn.” Oklahoma City was close enough to act, and San Antonio dictated the next several minutes instead.

The 20-0 run came mostly without Wembanyama

After an Isaiah Hartenstein miss, the Spurs ripped off 20 straight points and pushed the lead to 92-64 with 1:16 left in the third. Oklahoma City missed 13 consecutive shots and went 7:30 without scoring.

The Spurs scored 11 of those 20 points with Victor Wembanyama on the bench, a team-defense answer Oklahoma City had no counter for. The Thunder’s 13 third-quarter points were their lowest-scoring quarter of the season.

The 3-point math separated the teams

San Antonio made 15 threes, with 14 of those coming on assists. Oklahoma City made 10 threes and shot 25 percent from deep, with the Spurs’ bench outscoring OKC’s reserves 46-38.

The Thunder starters went 3-of-18 from behind the arc. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed all five of his attempts, and Oklahoma City was 0-of-8 from three in the third quarter as the game broke open.

Game 7 needs cleaner early-clock offense

The Thunder need earlier advantages, so misses don’t keep arriving from a crowded floor late in the clock. That starts with getting Gilgeous-Alexander touches before San Antonio’s help is loaded and using Chet Holmgren or Hartenstein as connectors before the Spurs can sit on the first action.

Daigneault also has a real decision on Jalen Williams, who returned from his hamstring strain in Game 6 but managed one point on 0-for-1 shooting in 10 minutes off the bench, his first reserve appearance since his rookie season. Whether Williams gets a larger Game 7 role or McCain stays in his starting spot shapes how much creation Oklahoma City has on the wings. Another stretch like Thursday’s third quarter, and the run becomes the season.